- In Florida, federal sentences for Drug Trafficking are given most frequently
- Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement comes second
- Immigration ranks third
In a new study released by Criminal Defense, criminal defense attorneys analyzed data from the United States Sentencing Commission for the fiscal year 2022 to determine the categories of crimes for which each state receives the most sentences.
“It is interesting to see which categories of crime receive the most federal sentences in each state, and it is even more fascinating to see some states having the highest rates in multiple categories,” said a spokesperson for the organization. “At a state level, it is vital that the right resources are utilized to discover how each state can be supported in improving how frequently they have to hand out these sentences.”
The categories of crime that have the highest sentencing rates per 100,000 in Florida are:
- Drug Trafficking – comes in as the most sentenced crime with a rate of 4.536 federal sentences per 100,000. Drug trafficking crimes involve knowingly manufacturing, dispensing, or distributing controlled substances or counterfeit controlled substances meant to be passed off as the real thing.
- Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement – comes in second with a rate of 2.729 federal sentences per 100,000. Fraud is the use of any deception or misrepresentation to benefit someone. Theft is the unlawful taking of someone else’s property. Embezzlement is theft by anyone while in a position of trust over the stolen funds or goods.
- Immigration – ranks third in the state with a rate of 1.870 federal sentences per 100,000. Immigration crime relates to the illegal entry of the United States by a foreign national or committing a felony offense as an immigrant to the United States.
- Firearms – the fourth most sentenced crime in Florida with 1.686 federal sentences per 100,000. Firearms offenses are committed when a defendant illegally possesses or uses a firearm.
- Money Laundering – with a rate of 0.387 federal sentences per 100,000, money laundering is using legitimate businesses to hide the actual source of illegally obtained money.
Criminal Defense are defense lawyers specializing in providing legal defense in criminal cases exclusively through experienced attorneys, many of whom have previous experience in senior roles in the Department of Justice.
Source:
Methodology
Data on the number of federal sentences given in each state in the fiscal year 2022 (October 1st, 2021, to September 30th, 2022) was obtained from the United States Sentencing Commission. This data was used to find the rate per 100,000 each state was being sentenced for federal crimes in various categories. The largest five sentencing rates in each state were then reported.
Table showing the top 3 crime categories with the highest sentencing rates per 100,000 in each state. Sexual crimes omitted
State Highest Crime Category Highest Sentencing Rate Per 100k Second Highest Crime Category Second Highest Rate Per 100k Third Highest Crime Category Third Highest Rate Per 100k Alabama Drug Trafficking 6.365 Firearms 5.814 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.010 Alaska Drug Trafficking 8.588 Firearms 4.362 Environmental 0.682 Arizona Immigration 46.078 Drug Trafficking 6.917 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.237 Arkansas Drug Trafficking 10.113 Firearms 7.420 Prison Offenses 2.233 California Drug Trafficking 6.472 Immigration 3.113 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.396 Colorado Drug Trafficking 2.757 Firearms 1.353 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.531 Connecticut Drug Trafficking 4.633 Firearms 1.379 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.103 Delaware Drug Trafficking 2.160 Firearms 1.767 Immigration 1.571 Florida Drug Trafficking 4.536 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.729 Immigration 1.870 Georgia Drug Trafficking 5.141 Firearms 2.859 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.549 Hawaii Drug Trafficking 6.527 Firearms 0.833 Robbery 0.486 Idaho Drug Trafficking 8.355 Firearms 2.733 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.702 Illinois Drug Trafficking 2.988 Firearms 2.345 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.113 Indiana Firearms 4.683 Drug Trafficking 3.922 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.907 Iowa Drug Trafficking 9.655 Firearms 7.905 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.250 Kansas Drug Trafficking 5.482 Firearms 2.894 Robbery 0.681 Kentucky Drug Trafficking 8.022 Firearms 2.061 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.573 Louisiana Drug Trafficking 5.817 Firearms 3.224 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 3.115 Maine Drug Trafficking 6.930 Firearms 1.732 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.011 Maryland Drug Trafficking 2.920 Firearms 1.703 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.476 Massachusetts Drug Trafficking 2.564 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.303 Firearms 0.816 Michigan Firearms 2.601 Drug Trafficking 2.402 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.854 Minnesota Drug Trafficking 1.819 Firearms 1.434 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.577 Mississippi Drug Trafficking 5.340 Firearms 4.320 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.531 Missouri Firearms 11.007 Drug Trafficking 10.295 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.991 Montana Drug Trafficking 12.112 Firearms 8.193 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 3.829 Nebraska Drug Trafficking 10.011 Firearms 3.405 Immigration 2.236 Nevada Firearms 3.619 Drug Trafficking 2.990 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.762 New Hampshire Drug Trafficking 8.171 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.792 Firearms 1.362 New Jersey Drug Trafficking 2.267 Firearms 1.630 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.501 New Mexico Immigration 65.867 Drug Trafficking 12.965 Firearms 9.038 New York Drug Trafficking 4.858 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.267 Firearms 1.697 North Carolina Drug Trafficking 5.487 Firearms 4.701 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.346 North Dakota Drug Trafficking 21.687 Assault 3.978 Firearms 3.593 Ohio Drug Trafficking 6.507 Firearms 4.040 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.446 Oklahoma Drug Trafficking 7.189 Firearms 3.682 Assault 2.960 Oregon Drug Trafficking 3.443 Firearms 1.509 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.802 Pennsylvania Drug Trafficking 4.857 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.973 Firearms 1.704 Rhode Island Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 3.474 Drug Trafficking 2.743 Firearms 0.731 South Carolina Drug Trafficking 5.244 Firearms 2.044 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.514 South Dakota Drug Trafficking 20.224 Firearms 9.452 Assault 3.297 Tennessee Drug Trafficking 8.778 Firearms 6.509 Robbery 1.149 Texas Immigration 32.741 Drug Trafficking 9.937 Firearms 3.390 Utah Drug Trafficking 8.312 Firearms 5.797 Immigration 2.810 Vermont Drug Trafficking 9.736 Firearms 3.555 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.009 Virginia Drug Trafficking 4.353 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.361 Other 1.889 Washington Drug Trafficking 2.890 Other 1.092 Firearms 0.758 West Virginia Drug Trafficking 18.477 Firearms 6.478 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.479 Wisconsin Drug Trafficking 3.564 Firearms 1.544 Robbery 0.543 Wyoming Drug Trafficking 9.976 Firearms 4.472 Assault 2.580
Table showing the fourth and fifth place crime categories with the highest sentencing rates per 100,000 in each state. Sexual crimes omitted
State Fourth Highest Crime Category Fourth Highest Rate Per 100k Fifth Highest Crime Category Fifth Highest Rate Per 100k Alabama Immigration 0.512 Robbery 0.414 Alaska Environmental 0.682 Money Laundering 0.545 Arizona Firearms 1.141 Assault 0.924 Arkansas Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.773 Money Laundering 0.296 California Firearms 0.907 Money Laundering 0.374 Colorado Robbery 0.445 Assault 0.342 Connecticut Money Laundering 0.276 Tax 0.248 Delaware Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.589 Murder 0.295 Florida Firearms 1.686 Money Laundering 0.387 Georgia Immigration 1.127 Other 0.962 Hawaii Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.417 Bribery/ Corruption 0.278 Idaho Immigration 1.496 Administration of Justice 0.206 Illinois Robbery 0.453 Money Laundering 0.286 Indiana Robbery 0.600 Money Laundering 0.190 Iowa Immigration 0.875 Assault 0.750 Kansas Prison Offenses 0.647 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.613 Kentucky Immigration 0.931 Money Laundering 0.687 Louisiana Immigration 0.414 Robbery 0.349 Maine Immigration 0.577 Administration of Justice 0.217 Maryland Robbery 0.454 Immigration 0.422 Massachusetts Tax 0.243 Immigration 0.229 Michigan Immigration 0.448 Robbery 0.299 Minnesota Robbery 0.367 Assault 0.192 Mississippi Immigration 1.054 Robbery 0.306 Missouri Robbery 0.955 Money Laundering 0.793 Montana Assault 1.781 Money Laundering 0.534 Nebraska Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.270 Robbery 0.762 Nevada Immigration 0.976 Robbery 0.724 New Hampshire Robbery 0.358 Drug Possession 0.143 New Jersey Immigration 0.216 Money Laundering 0.184 New Mexico Robbery 1.703 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.136 New York Immigration 0.732 Robbery 0.717 North Carolina Immigration 1.019 Robbery 0.794 North Dakota Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.182 Money Laundering 1.797 Ohio Robbery 0.400 Immigration 0.281 Oklahoma Drug Possession 1.592 Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.393 Oregon Money Laundering 0.401 Assault 0.377 Pennsylvania Robbery 0.524 Immigration 0.470 Rhode Island Money Laundering 0.457 Tax 0.366 South Carolina Money Laundering 0.398 Tax 0.246 South Dakota Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.858 Administration of Justice 2.748 Tennessee Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.035 Money Laundering 0.681 Texas Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 1.985 Money Laundering 0.566 Utah Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.947 Money Laundering 0.592 Vermont Drug Possession 1.082 Immigration 0.773 Virginia Firearms 1.428 Immigration 1.117 Washington Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.642 Immigration 0.321 West Virginia Prison Offenses 0.901 Money Laundering 0.394 Wisconsin Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 0.458 Assault 0.187 Wyoming Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement 2.408 Tax 1.032